Hollow
by Mari Vargas
Summary: Percy's erosive past has caught up to him, but Nico helps him heal from that hollowness.


**A/N: Ok I literally just typed this up, so I am really sorry if there are any mistakes. I was trying to think of ideas for "Wait, What?", but they all kept getting blocked by, well, something that has to do with this, and so I just kinda started writing and... yeah... Well regardless I hope you enjoy?**

 **Main Pairing: Nico/Percy**

 **Side Pairings: Sally/Paul , Percy/Annabeth (mentioned)**

 **PJatO/HoO Characters: Nico di Angelo, Perseus Jackson, Sally Blofis nee Jackson, Paul Blofis**

 **Disclaimer: I am not 50 some odd years old. I am only a high school/college student with a love for mythology. All rights to the series and the characters belong to the amazing Rick Riordan.**

* * *

 **Hollow**

Nico had made a habit of visiting and watching Percy from the shadows. It was how he'd found out that Percy had gone missing all those months ago. It was how he'd found out about "Percabeth"s breakup, too.

Not directly of course, but he'd found that Percy tended to turn to music when he couldn't understand something that's happening in his life, or even just to vent his emotions so that they wouldn't be released through his powers.

It had started a while back, just dropping in every few months or so and staying half inside the shadow-just to make sure nothing happened to him. It grew from there especially after the Giant War and all that happened with that until suddenly he was visiting everyday-not hiding in the shadows anymore, still afraid of becoming one himself if he remained in them too long, but rather out on the fire escape-just listening.

Until one day when he was listening, the strumming just stopped. He heard a meek attempt to pick it back up, but it stopped after only a few strings and he heard the guitar being set back in its place. Nico left right after that, but came back the next day and heard only silence. Same with the day after. The third day of silence, Nico chanced a look in only to see Percy curled around his guitar, on his side and staring at the opposite wall.

The next day he arrived to the scene of Sally calling everyone to the dinner table. He watched as Percy slowly uncurled himself and paused at his door seeming to collect himself together to show what he wanted everyone to see. It was then that Nico knew he couldn't just stand there watching anymore. He shadow-travelled himself to their front door..but missed by a few inches and ended up on the inside instead of the respectful outside-the-door he'd been aiming for.

Sally peeked her head out of the kitchen, presumably to call again that dinner was ready, but stopped short as she noticed Nico's presence. With a bright smile and open arms she greeted him with a hug. "Nico! It's been so long since I last saw you! You are looking very well by the way," Sally said. Pulling back she noticed his slight deer-in-the-headlights look and chuckled, "You don't need to look so frightened, you are always welcome here. Come, will you join us for dinner?"

Nico eventually nodded, "Yes I would actually, thank you." giving her a small tentative smile at the end.

It was then that Percy entered the front room as well and saw Nico. "Nico! How's camp going? Or missions for your father? Or whatever you've been up to lately?"

Not quite sure how to answer, Nico settled for saying a simple "It's good" which apparently was enough because Percy immediately invited him to dinner as well.

During dinner, the conversations were mostly kept up by Mr. and Mrs. Blofis, with a few questions directed at him and Percy though both boys gave rather short responses. Nico kept a watch of Percy throughout the meal and he noticed some things.

His plate was barely filled, and even what little there was didn't ever seem to diminish.

His smile was stiff and painted.

His eyes were screaming of the hollowness he was trying so hard to hide.

After dinner was eaten and cleaned up from, Sally sent the both of them off to Percy's room. Percy started chattering away in his usual manner, but Nico quickly quieted him.

"Why do you hide the fact that you're hurting?" Nico asked.

The smile slid off of Percy's face. "Because I'm not."

"You are, I can see-"

"I'm not! I'm not hurting, I'm not feeling pain, I'm not...feeling _anything_. And how am I supposed to tell someone about that? That's not hurting, so how could it even be fixed?"

"That feeling, that hollow emptiness? I know that feeling. It's every bad thing of your past finally having a chance to chip away at you from the inside until you are nothing left but a shell-a weak, flimsy shell."

Silence rang out in the room following Nico's statement. Then-

"How do you make it go away?" Percy whispered, eyes glistening.

Nico looked on with sorrowful eyes. "You can't."

He held his hand up as Percy opened his mouth to say something. "You can't make nothingness go away. It's caused by the avoidance of all the things that are bothering you. When you have nothing left to occupy yourself aside from that which is bothering you, and you are avoiding those, you are left with an empty nothingness. You can't make nothingness go away, but you can fill it. But first, before you can fill it, you have to face what you are trying so desperately to avoid."

It was then that Percy broke down and flung himself into Nico's embrace, sobbing.

That was the start of Percy's healing. Nico came back again and again to listen to Percy and help him face his erosive past. And then, suddenly, almost without him even realizing it, he even helped fill that hollowness.

They had stopped meeting just in Percy's room, instead going to the local café, or the coffee shop, or even just strolling in the park. They were growing closer every day, almost without even noticing. Until one day, when they were on the beach in Montauk-a place Percy had wanted to show him-watching as the sun was setting when Percy suddenly stopped talking. Turning to look at him, Nico was captivated by the green eyes which once were so empty and were now so much more lively than even the ocean they were so often compared to-and were now growing closer to him and sliding shut just moments before soft lips were brushing against his own.

He felt his own eyes widen in shock, but before he could do anything, Percy had pulled back.

"I'm so sorry! You probably don't even feel like that for me and I just did that without even-MPH!" Percy was cut off by Nico's lips reasserting themselves upon his.

Breaking away, both boys panting, Nico said "Don't apologize since I've wanted to do that for so long, but figured you'd never feel the same for me." They grinned at each other in the happy delirium of mutual feelings.

Neither was fully healed, but as time went on, they hardly felt their hollowness because they had each other to fill it.


End file.
